03.26.12 After 16 Grammys and 35 years in music, Sting's still buzzing...

After 16 Grammys and 35 years in music, Sting's still buzzing...

Saturday marked the first South African date of the Sting: Back To Bass worldwide tour.

The concert to celebrate 25 years of Gordon Sumner’s solo career was held at Joburg’s Coca-Cola Dome and, surprisingly for a big international act, two dates were booked at the same venue - the 16-time Grammy Award-winning Sting performing again yesterday.

Also unusual was the lack of opening acts. The bassist/vocalist made famous by multiplatinum '80s new wave band The Police played an impressively long set (about 19 songs) without a break. With a few exceptions, the tunes were all classics, stripped down to their barest original bones.

The Kama Sutra master’s penchant for going full orchestral or indulging in world-musicky versions of fan favourites was nowhere to be heard. Neither did Sting’s fascination with jazz rear its convoluted head.

The idea behind Back To Bass was for the muso to return to his bass-and-vox roots with nothing but his band (and a particularly ugly piece of furniture he calls “the occasional table”) to support him on stage.

It was a good call, as the average concert-goer seemed to be between 30 and 50 years old - but then, Sting is 61 years old himself.

From the very first chords of 'All This Time', the 10800-strong seated crowd all seemed to wish they were standing up.

One audience member ended up on the giant displays after she stood and screamed ''I love you, Gordon!'' Evidently the diminutive brunette was unaware of how little Sting likes his Christian name.

The Newcastle-born musician ran away from home in the '70s to join The Police, after playing in numerous jazz ensembles and holding down desk jobs he despised (one of them being tax collector).

One night while playing with the Phoenix Jazzmen, the band leader started to call him Sting because of the bee-like yellow and black striped jersey Sumner was wearing. The name stuck. ''Even my mother calls me Sting.''

As expected, the sound on Saturday was spectacular and the playing masterful. There were no light shows or VJ screens - it was simply a musical feast for fans. The set list included hits 'Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic', 'Englishman in New York', 'Seven Days', 'Fields of Gold', 'Desert Rose', 'Roxanne' and the encore, big-space anthem 'Fragile'.

It takes a lot to entertain a seated crowd without any visual aids but Sting, along with his two battered '50s bass guitars and his band, father and son team Dominic (lead guitar), Rufus Miller (rhythm), Jo Lawry (backing vox), Vinnie Colaiuta (drummer) and electric fiddler Pete Tickell managed to hold everyone’s attention for the full two hours.

Tickell's solos were complex and feverish, while remaining enjoyable. At one point he could have been playing Rimsky-Korsakov’s Flight of the Bumble Bee.

Sting: Back To Bass visits Cape Town tomorrow and Wednesday at GrandWest's Grand Arena. Tickets are about R395 from Computicket. Don't miss it.

We were at the Wednesday concert in Cape Town and what a fantastic show it was! Loved the way the band just got on with it and played without a break, apart from a few anecdotes from Sting in between. I was lucky enough to have seen the Symphonicity tour in NYC at the Lincoln Centre, now nearly 3 years ago, and although very different in feel, it was just as enjoyable. But then again, I have been a die-hard Sting fan for over 30 years! Even travelled the long road from Durban to Harare for the Amnesty International Concert all those years ago!

Gill1 - 03.29.12

Cape Town

Awesome performance, I am still on a high and dreading coming down from it. Love the man and his music. Gill

Gill1 - 03.29.12

Gillygills SA

The concert at the Grand Arena Cape Town on Tuesday evening was AWESOME, what a treat. he still sounds the same and just takes my breath away, what a man and still very easy on the eye.
Love him to bits

Kara_Wolff - 03.28.12

Hmmmm

This reviewer seems somewhat negative and a bit immature. As a journalist, may want to do some fact checking before print...like Sting is 60 and his occasional table is quite unique and beautiful in shape and decor. Ah well, some folks still persist in seeing the glass half empty. Life's too short; come join us in Fun and Frolic!! :)

Singer/Songwriter, Sting, has enjoyed an enviable career. 35 years after The Police first toured, the genre exploring frontman goes back to bass-ics for a solo tour entitled 'Back To Bass'. TPI's Kelly Murray and Zoe Mutter invesigated the story of how one down-to-earth musician has kept his happy production team on staff for decades. Click here to read the full article. With special thanks to TPi...

Sting is currently on the Back to Bass tour throughout Europe, the UK and South Africa in support of the recently released box set collection, 25 Years, which garnered a rave review from Keyboard Magazine in the April 2012 issue: "What I've learned over the years is that miracles don't happen and what works is the process," Sting writes in the liner notes for '25 Years', his three-CD-plus-DVD solo career retrospective. The process he speaks of shines in full, recorded glory here, with 55 tracks evincing his continued quest for aural eloquence. From his early, jazz-tinged exploits on 'The Dream of the Blue Turtles', to later explorations into dance, country, and classical fare, this collection is powerful proof of Sting's singular sonic imprint. Timeless...

We are pleased to announce a new concert along Sting's 2012 Summer tour! On Tuesday, June 5, he will perform many of his greatest hits at the Fox Theatre in St. Louis, Missouri, with a 5-piece band including Dominic Miller (guitar), David Sancious (keyboards), Vinnie Colaiuta (drums), Peter Tickell (electric fiddle), and Jo Lawry (vocals). Fan Club presales begin at 10AM (local time) tomorrow, March 20. Tickets will go on sale to the public Saturday, March 24 at 10AM (local time)...

On Monday, June 11, Sting will perform at the Place des Arts in Montreal, Quebec! He will be joined by a 5-piece band featuring Dominic Miller (guitar), David Sancious (keyboards), Vinnie Colaiuta (drums), Peter Tickell (electric fiddle), and Jo Lawry (vocals). Fan Club presales begin at 10AM (local time) tomorrow, March 20. Tickets will go on sale to the public Saturday, March 24 at 12PM (local time)...